Almost Lover
by Iris Serinium
Summary: Katara was his. Katara was his Almost Lover. KataraxZuko fluff.


_**Your fingertips across my skin  
The palm trees swaying in the wind  
Images  
You sang me Spanish lullabies  
The sweetest sadness in your eyes  
Clever trick**_

Katara had never been so relieved for the war to be over. Aang had defeated Fire Lord Ozai with Zuko at his side, and now the war was over. Zuko's Uncle Iroh was running the kingdom for the time being, and he had insisted on the group taking a little vacation to the Fire Nation summer palace on the island of Otonashi. Aang and Toph had decided they would rather go to see King Bumi and do a little bit of sliding on the mail rafters in Ba Sing Sai. Sokka had decided to follow, and even the Kyoshi Warriors (including Suki) were tagging along. Zuko and Katara decided they would rather go to the island, and everyone obeyed their wishes. The two were together now, and some figured that they needed a little alone time to sort out their feelings. The first few days were amazing, Katara and Zuko spending time on the beach. They laid in a hammock together, Zuko gently brushing Katara's cheek with his rough hand. She smiled before leaning in to rest her head on his chest. "I love you, Zuko." She said softly. "I love you too, Katara." He said before kissing her forehead gently.

_**Well, I never want to see you unhappy  
I thought you'd want the same for me**_

It wasn't until about the fourth day when things got a little frail. It was evening, and Katara was nowhere in sight. Zuko went to her room to find the waterbender on her bed, crying. She wore a light blue dress with long sleeves and a square color. It ended around her knees and had silver embroidery on the collar and ends of the sleeves were they bellowed out. She also wore a light blue robe the touch the ground. A little bit of her hair was pulled up out of her eyes, revealing the tears that flowed from them. Zuko went forward and wrapped his arms around Katara, noticing a letter opened and spread out on the silk comforter of her bed. "Tell me what's wrong Katara." He said, kissing her jaw softly. She hiccuped, wrapping her arms around him and sobbing into his chest. She pointed to the letter. He laid back with her, picking up the letter and reading it. He frowned when he read that they believed a goup of Ozai's supporters had uprised in Ba Sing Sai, and that the Avatar had been shot. Both he and two other members of his group were in terminal condition. Katara's brother was one of them.

_**[Chorus  
Goodbye, my almost lover  
Goodbye, my hopeless dream  
I'm trying not to think about you  
Can't you just let me be?  
So long, my luckless romance  
My back is turned on you  
Should've known you'd bring me heartache  
Almost lovers always do**_

"Let me go with you." Zuko said, taking Katara's small hands in his own. He looked down at her with his ember eyes, his stare gazing right into her heart. Katara forced herself to tear away from him. "No, Zuko. You need to stay here. You need to keep the fire nation under control. Aang, Toph, Suki, and I will go.We will find the people who tried to kill Aang. I will avenge Sokka." She near whispered the last part, the memory of losing her brother hard for her to bear. Zuko nodded sorrowfully before bending down to sweep his lips across hers for one last, passionate kiss. He released her to watch her go, walking away to load on top of Appa with Aang and the others. Zuko felt his heart snap into two as the giant bison took off, flying her away from him.

_**We walked along a crowded street  
You took my hand and danced with me  
Images  
And when you left, you kissed my lips  
You told me you would never, never forget  
These images. **_

The first place they went was a small town Katara recognized as one of their last stops before Aang ad Zuko defeated the Fire Lord. It used to be a thriving city, but since the uprising, many had left it. Katara remembered that by the time she had reached this city, both her's and Zuko's feelings had been realized. She remember walking down the street, hand in hand with him. Laughing as he picked her up and spun her around, then drawing her in for a kiss. These images made her sick to her stomach and she retreated to her tent for the rest of their stay.

_**Well, I'd never want to see you unhappy  
I thought you'd want the same for me**_

Aang saw how upset Katara was, but he couldn't bring himself to say anything to her. "She loved him, Aang. She loved him like I loved Sokka. It's hard to let someone you love go." Suki reminded him. "Will you try and talk to her for me?" Aang asked, but Toph cut in. "I'll do it, twinkle toes. Stop bearing your load on others." Toph said. Aang smiled and kissed the blind girl on the cheek, causing her to blush as she entered Katara's tent. "Katara?" Toph said softly. She found the girl sobbing in the corner of her tent. Toph sat down next to Katara, hugging her, figuring that was the best thing to do. To just let her cry it out.

_**[Chorus  
Goodbye, my almost lover  
Goodbye, my hopeless dream  
I'm trying not to think about you  
Can't you just let me be?  
So long, my luckless romance  
My back is turned on you  
Should've known you'd bring me heartache  
Almost lovers always do**_

"You know, Zuko, you'll be coming to the throne soon. You'll have to take a wife." Iroh reminded his nephew for the millionth time. Zuko stood in the Fire Nation palace, his gaze placed out the window and over the Fire Nation city. "I know, Uncle. But we both know I'll take nobody but her." Zuko said. "Zuko, she had to leave. She had to avenge her brother. You don't even know if she's still alive, we haven't recieved news of the Avatar in three months..." "She's still alive!" Zuko roared, interrupting his uncle. Iroh looked taken aback, but his expression softened when he saw both the anger and the passion for this girl in Zuko's eyes. Iroh sighed, thinking to himself. _'Young love'. _"I understand, Prince Zuko." Iroh said. "I am sorry."

_**I cannot go to the ocean  
I cannot drive the streets at night  
I cannot wake up in the morning  
Without you on my mind  
So you're gone and I'm haunted  
And I bet you are just fine**_

The sight of the ocean pained him. The streets they one danced down during their travels brought back painful memories. Everytime one of them woke, the other was on their mind but they were sure that the other had moved on. Katara knew he was probably getting ready to take the throne and take a wife, Zuko figured Aang had come along and swept Katara off her feet. Katara kept traveling, wishing that his memory would leave her heart, but she just couldn't wait until all this was over. She wanted to see him again, hold him again, kiss him again. Zuko searched every newspaper for news of her and the Avater. He waited for her to come back, he wanted her back, he wanted her by his side. Every night before he went to bed, he would reach inside and pull out a small, black box and open it to reveal the blue stone set in silver he had gotten just for her. Just to establish them.

_**Did I make it that  
Easy to walk right in and out  
Of my life?**_

He could't believe he had just let her walk out of his life, and he here she was again, about to walk away once more. Zuko shook Katara's limp body for the second time. "Katara, stay with me! Don't leave me!" He shouted. Aang was busy fighting with Azula in the throne room, and Suki and Toph were taking on Mai and Ty Lee. Iroh was nowhere to be seen, and neither was King Bumi. he had no one to help him, no one to help her. Katara's slim hand reached up to brush his tearstained cheek, a small smile flooding her face. "I love you, Zuko. I'll love you forever. I promise, but you've got to let me go." Katara said in a serene voice. "No! No! Katara's I love you, you can't die!" Zuko said, pulling her limp body to his even though it was bloodstained. She pressed a kiss against his lips for one last time before laying back in his arms. "No, Katara, don't leave me...Don't leave me. Stay with me, _marry me._"

_**[Chorus  
Goodbye, my almost lover  
Goodbye, my hopeless dream  
I'm trying not to think about you  
Can't you just let me be?  
So long, my luckless romance  
My back is turned on you  
Should have known you'd bring me heartache  
Almost lovers always do**_

Her funeral was beside the ocean, on that same island where she and Zuko had once spent an entire summer together. It was small, only her closest and personal friends there. The priest's words were beautiful and when the service ended, Zuko stepped forward to laya boquet of lilies on her grave. "I love you...Katara. And I miss you every day." He whispered, his words getting caught in te seabreeze. "Zuko, we need to go." Mai's voice came from behind him. Zuko stood up, looking at his fioncee. Mai had grown a little, and she was very pretty, and the blue stoned ring fit her perfectly, but she was no Katara. Zuko would never love her as much as he loved Katara. He nodded, taking one last look at Katara's grave before walking and takin Mai's hand, kissing it. How he wished it was Katara's he was kissing, but it was Mai's. How he wished Katara hadn't just been his Almost Lover.

**_Story By Iris Serinium_**

**_Lyrics by "Almost Lover" By A Fine Frenzy_**

**_Iris Serinium does not own Avatar: The Last Airbender_**

**_ Please Review and Check out more of Iris Serinium's fanfictions on her site_**

**_Also vote on her new poll_**

**_Thank you for reading. _**


End file.
